Store-service apparatus



(No Model.) 8 V A H.;'W. SHARPLESS STORE SERVIOE APPARATUS.

No. 295,442. Patented M81". 18, 1884.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

HENRY WV. SHARPLESS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,442, dated March1.8, 1884.

Application filed July 21, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. SHARPLESS, a citizen of the United States,and. a resident of Philadelphia, in the county'of Philadelphia and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStore- Service Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. it

My invention has for its object to facilitate sales operations instores, especially in those stores in which store cash apparatus isused; and my invention consists in combining with the usual counters andshelving certain elevated desks or stations so arranged that theoccupants shall be readily accessible to the salesmen to receive anddeliver bundles without the interposition of third parties, and so thatthe packing and deliveryoperations can be carried on without any loss offloorspace usually required for packing-desks.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of sufficient width of acounter, shelving,

and packing-desk of a store to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a planView, showing a line of shelving, desk, and counters. Fig. 3 isadetached view, showing a movable packing-desk.

My invention is used in connection wit-h any of the usual arrangementsof counters and shelving, which do not require to be altered in any wayin order to utilize my improvements.

Heretofore it has been common to provide stores with what are known aspackingdesks at one or more localities in each store, where clerks arestationed to whom the goods are delivered, and by whom they areinspected, compared with sales-tickets, 8m, and wrapped up prior toreturning to the salesman and delivery to thecustomer, Suchpacking-desks occupy a considerable amount of floor-space which mightotherwise be made available for other purposes, and being at a distancefrom the greater portion of the salesmen, necessitatesthe employment oflarge numbers of cash'boys to carry the goods and bundles back andforth. There are also other desks and stations, the presence of which onthe floor is objectionable. To avoid these difficulties, I dispense withthe usual packing and other stations upon the floor of the store, and inplace thereof I provide stations upon the shelving at the rear of thecounters, within easy reach of the salesmen, upon one, both, or allsides of said shelving, so that the goods and tickets may be handed byeach salesman directly to the packing-clerk, who wraps the same up andhands it down to the salesman. When cash-carriers areused, the variouschecks and tickets employed may be handed to and from the packing-clerkwith but little delay.

In Figs. land 2, A indicates the line of shelving or cases. supportingone or more packing-desks, B, situated at any suitable point or points.0 represents the counters, between which and the cases stand thesalesmen, who can easily pass to the wrapping-desk to hand up or receivethe goods, and when cash-service apparatus is used, as indicated in Fig.l, the ball-receiving station may be in proximity to the packing-desk.

In some instances it is desirable to change the packers positions, forwhich purpose I mount the packing-desk upon a case provided with wheels,so that it may be moved from place to place as required.

I do not here claim, broadly, a packers desk arranged in a position awayfrom the floor, as this forms the subject of a separate applicationfiled February 1, 1884;; neither do I claim a set of shelves with agallery above the same, or with a station or desk thereon constituting astation for a store-service apparatus, my invention being limited to thecombination, with the shelving, of a packingdesk, whereby the space onthe floor occupied by the shelving is also rendered available forpacking purposes.

WVithout limiting myself to the precise construction and'arrangement ofparts described, I claim 1. The combination, with the counters and casesof a store, of stations for the receiving and packing clerks, arrangedabove and supported by the cases and accessible from the salesmensstations, substantially as specified.

2. A store provided with packing-stations arranged above and sup'portedby the cases, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the counters of a store, of a movable case andpacking desk or station above and supported thereby, for the purposespecified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

H. W. SHARPLESS. "Witnesses:

E. B. DINGLE,

J. L. HEINEMAN.

